Now that Flopton and Karla are gone I don't think I can hate the Jazz just as much. And right now I hate the Spers* as much as anyone I have EVER hated.
That's a tough call between the Lakers and the Jazz. I went with the Lakers, but my first thought was the Jazz.
Codell, I voted for the Jazz. Seattle, however does loom large in the glory days of this franchise. Hakeem did have some great games against them, but that team defensed him better than anyone else at the peak of his career. I really thought we could go all the way in '93 - I wasn't afraid of the Bulls at all - but I really thought that year was Dream's big chance and was devastated by that tough, harrowing series loss. Argueably, it also changed Dream. He took what was pretty obviously going to be a HOF career and had a year for the NBA mythos in '94. The stats don't reflect the domination he exuded that season. Then Seattle lost in the first round of the playoffs in '94. We didn't have to play them in the '95 playoffs either. I don't think for a minute they would have beaten us either year, but they had a better chance than anyone in the NBA against us - even if Jordan hadn't retired for awhile. So I probably hate Seattle more in terms of Hakeem worship than I do as a diehard Rockets fan. But I still do hate George Karl. Ironically, I don't really have a problem with Jerry Sloan. Hate is a strange thing.
Agreed. The Seattle playoff loss after the championship is nowhere near as devastating as the one in 93. That team, imo, could have gone all the way - i.e. beaten the Bulls in the Finals. Still, the Jazz always top the list, and, for now, the Lakers have replaced the Sonics as hated team number 2 imo. I actually don't mind the Spurs, although I hate the Mavs.
All time hate scale: 1. Jazz (c'mon, it's the Jazz) 2. Lakers (the hatred everyone has for Kobe + Shaq is nearing biblical proportions) 3. Spurs (one conversation with any Spurs fan and that vein in your head starts to bulge) 4. Sonics (despite losing to them in the playoffs all those years, we got our cookies, they did not) Current hate scale: 1. Lakers (Yao/Shaq + Francis/Kobe is a great rivalry, and when you throw in Rick Fox and Mark Madsen, you can't HELP but hate the Lakers) 2. Spurs (If the Spurs win their 2nd championship the DRob to Hakeem comparisons will come flying in fast and furious, the thought of the Admiral being considered even remotely near Dream's league sets me off like a bomb) 3. Jazz (Jerry Sloan is still a jerk, but Malone and Stockton and history, and with that, the Jazz drop out of the playoffs and off our radar for years) 4. Sonics (Unless they make some drastic changes and start pushing their way into the 7th or 8th playoff spot, I doubt we'll see much reason to hate them soon)
I just voted for the Jazz. Can't go wrong with that. I don't really have to explain my choice either. That's pretty much how I feel, though I feel strange thinking like that. When the playoffs started, I tried think of a team that would be "ok" with me to win it all. Just about every team had a reason for me to hate them even if it was losing to the Suns to give them an edge in the race. I tried to pick one just because, so I would tell people I kind of wanted Detroit to win it since they hustle and seem like underdogs and stuff. THEN they had to go and take LB from us and now I hate them a lot more than I do other teams. Now, I'll just tell people I want all the teams to be found to have steroids or something and the Rockets win it all. Though, hopefully I won't have to think like that for long.
I was thinking the same way myself at the beginning of the playoffs this year. It didn't completely dawn on me until a game or two into the Phoenix series that, even though I tried my best to root for them, I really, really can't stand the Spurs.
THE TEAM I HATE THE MOST IS THE DALLAS COWBOYS... oh wait...wrong sport... in bball...its definately the JAZZ...definately
This poll is flawed. Only one choice. There is plenty of hate to go around for these teams. Sonics, Jazz and Lakers rank pretty even but for different reasons. The Spurs are just an in state rivalry. How can the Bulls be excluded from this list? I know they aren't much but I hated the way Jordan and Quitten were fawned over as bad as I hate the way Bryant and O'Neal are today. Quitten's escapades as a Rocket made me dislike him and the Bulls even more. As a matter of fact, I loved Portland when Drexler was there because I followed him from his Phi Slamma Jamma days at U of H. I look back on Drexler's days as a Rocket with fondness. I look back on Quittens days as a Rocket with disgust. I hate Portland now because Quitten is on that team. When Quitten retires I'll hate retirement too.
The Jazz are the most hated and every other Western Conference team is the second most hated. Hard to hate the Kings though, they're a lot of fun to watch.
Pheonix deserve a break after we throutle them in the playoffs to our championship days. THe Sonics i hated them in the mid 90's The Jazz in the late 90's The Bulls on their glory days The Lakers the last 4 years I actulally like two of the Spurs players Duncan and Ginobli but not their fans,
I agree with the last couple of replies. I HATE the SUNS. If you look on their BBS they have a banner saying, what Amare ate for lunch, and then they have a picture of Yao Ming in a Chinese takeout box. Because Amare won Rookie of the Year now all the Suns fans think he totally domintated Yao. Hell if that werent enough you still have Stephon Marbury. His presence alone is worth hating the team.
The sooners! 5 years ago, I'd say the sonics but all the objects of my hatred (Payton, Kemp, Schremp, Sleepy Perkins, McMillan sort of) are gone. No fun to hate anymore.
I used to hate the Jazz the most, but now that Stockton and most likely Malone are gone, Im leaning toward Lakers. If Malone goes to LA and teaches them all the Jazz tricks, most definately Lakers.
I think Phoenix becomes most hated since we hate Stephon and Amare, and also since Stockton retired and Malone is leaving. However, if Sloan stays, I'd have to continue hating the Jazz.
